Undercovers
by The Writer On the Wall
Summary: [Based on an original plot by Anya (fuckyeahsharonraydor \\ standswithabadge on tumblr ]: "In order to solve their latest case, Andy and Sharon are sent undercover as a wealthy married couple at an elite poker tournament. Though the cards are quickly turned, with Sharon and Andy finding themselves as the killer's newest targets. Can they come out of this all in one piece?"
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1:**_

8:30 pm, the clock on the opposite wall declared silently. Andy watched it, listening to the sound of time. The ticking and his fast heartbeats were like a loud rhythm inside his head, the soundtrack of his stress. Waiting like this, in the dimly lit hotel room, did nothing good to his nerves. He was ready to go 10 minutes ago, but she needed more time. And even though he was nervous, he couldn't just get up and go without her. They were in this undercover operation together. Why was it taking her so long?

'Women,' he thought and shook his head, sighing at the fact that there was nothing he could do to make her hurry up. She was the boss**;** he went by her rules.

Finally, the bathroom door opened. Andy got on his feet and straightened his black suit jacket before looking at Sharon. The moment his eyes met her body, he froze. She walked toward him, in what seemed to him like slow motion, wearing a spectacular red dress. It was tight and the hem of it rode unusually high above her knees. Very complimenting to her body, Andy noted. His eyes lingered on her chest, which was partially visible due to the surprisingly generous cleavage. He's never seen her quite like this, and he definitely didn't know that her waist was so inviting. All he wanted at that moment was to put his arms around it.

"Andy?" he heard her voice as if from a distance, but it brought him crashing back to reality. He moved his eyes up quickly to see her green ones staring at him.

"Wow," he couldn't help it. That was the only word that he could utter.

"Thank you," Sharon said hesitantly and smiled. She was obviously confused by his reaction. This situation was new to her too, but for a whole different reason. She never went undercover, and it was rather nerve-wrecking. That's why she chose Andy as her partner, when asked by Chief Taylor. He was a good detective and had many years of experience with actual criminals, as opposed to her work on FID. She was a good investigator too, but dealt with other cops for most of her career.

"Shall we go over the plan? Let's make sure we don't mess up in a crucial moment," she sat at the table and he followed. There were folders and documents spread all over the table, the top one being their master plan for catching the serial killer they've been after for several weeks now. They finally managed to find a connection between his three victims, in the form of a fancy, underground gambling club. Well, fancy until someone owed them money, of course.

"Have you talked with our informant again?" she asked.

"Yes, two hours ago. He promised me that the code word he gave us was still valid. He'll be there tonight, bartending," Andy tried to concentrate on her eyes, but as soon as she looked down to read their plan, his eyes fell to her body again. He couldn't get over the way his boss was looking tonight. Captain Raydor. Formerly known as Darth Raydor. Who knew she had it in her?

"Okay, so –" she started again, but there was a knock on the door and Andy got up to open it. Tao and Provenza were both there, wearing the hotel staff's uniform - red pants and a vest of the same color, over a white shirt. Sharon got on her feet and tried to stifle a roar of laughter. She might be looking different than usual tonight, but Provenza's look was hilarious.

"Captain," he said, examining her from head to toe. "You look…" apparently he couldn't manage to find the right word to describe her. It seemed to be everyone's problem tonight.

"You too, Lieutenant," she said, still trying not to laugh in his face.

"We need to blend in, in case someone from this hotel shows up at the club. It's a five minutes drive away, you know," he tried to defend himself.

Tao placed some equipment on the table as Sharon mumbled "I know, I know," and they all approached him.

Five minutes later, Sharon was wearing a decorative pin, which was actually a tiny video and audio transmitter, and a button of the same nature was added to Andy's white buttoned shirt. Also, they all went over the plan together, to reassure themselves.

"Don't close your jacket, or we won't be able to see," Tao instructed Andy.

"Really? I never would have thought about it," Andy responded with typical sarcasm. Tao didn't care. He knew and loved all of his colleagues, who were more like family to him after all these years of working together. Some days he spent more hours with them than with his real family.

"Should I move the pin up?" Sharon asked. It was on her chest, very close to where the dress ended and the cleavage started, and made her feel a little uncomfortable.

"No. We need clear headshots for the facial recognition software. I've located it in a strategic spot… Captain," Tao tried to be as polite as possible.

"Yeah, you can rest assured that people will look at it," Andy chuckled until he realized that he said it out loud and everyone was staring at him.

Sharon didn't look angry at his remark, but rather pleasantly surprised by the compliment. Provenza seemed to be nauseated and Tao cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Anyway, we should go," Sharon said in her usual, calm manner. Everyone looked away from Andy and he felt like hugging her for taking the focus from him.

"We'll follow you in the van. Hopefully everything goes according to the plan and we can continue with part 2 tomorrow," Provenza said as he walked to the door, followed by the rest. "We all want this son of a bitch behind bars ASAP, so don't screw up."

The elevator ride was awkwardly silent. Provenza and Tao stood closest to the doors with their backs to Andy and Sharon, which made her feel like they were alone. The silence was so thick that it was torturous. She kept seeing Andy glancing at her from the corner of her eye and it didn't help the matter. She thought about being alone in the car with him with nothing to talk about, and felt like running for the hills.

"Alright," Tao finally broke the silence when they stepped outside the hotel, into the cool air of the night. "Good luck," he added quietly and continued to walk with Provenza toward the van, acting as if they didn't know Sharon and Andy.

She looked at him and saw him offering his arm. With a little smile she accepted it and they walked arm in arm toward the unmarked car that they got for the operation. It reminded her of another case from about a year ago, where she walked the same way with Provenza. The night breeze brought his aftershave to her nose and she realized she liked it. Suddenly, all she felt like doing was going back to that hotel room and bury her face in his chest… a feeling she hadn't had for a long time.

Andy opened the door for her and waited for her to get inside.

"From now on, we're Robert and Sarah," he mentioned their undercover names and hoped that he won't accidently use her real name in front of someone from the club.

Her legs were the first thing he saw as he got inside the car, even though it was pretty dark. He quickly tore his eyes from this mesmerizing sight – ignoring the images of his lips marking paths on her thighs, which popped in his mind involuntarily – and started the car.

He had no idea what was happening to him. Or, he did, but he never thought it would happen with his boss. He always enjoyed checking her out. Examining her shape wasn't new to him, but he mostly did it absentmindedly, like an old habit. Now he felt what he usually feels when he comes across an attractive woman – he needed to get her in his bed. He entered his 'hunter' mode and he didn't know how to quiet down this desire except by following it. But how can he? It wasn't just any woman, by all means. And it wasn't just her being his boss. Say that they get past this problem somehow, how does he approach her? She's a smart, intelligent woman. Probably so tired of games that she _chooses_ to be alone.

That's why he preferred casual, one night stands. No questions asked, no strings attached. Does that make him a coward? Or just lazy?

"Andy?" once again, her voice was like a wakeup call, bringing him back to planet earth.

"Huh?" he said quickly, trying to hide the fact that she was taking over his thoughts, as if she had a way of knowing that.

"You just drove past the place. Turn around and find somewhere to park the car," she ordered him.

After a few moments of silence, she added, "maybe I should be the one driving on the way back."

Andy could feel her eyes on him. She was clearly wondering what was going on inside his head.

"Aye aye, Captain," he joked, trying to distract her as he parked the car. He silenced the engine and looked toward the club's entrance. "Looks pretty deserted."

"Yes, it's not supposed to be seen by just everyone."

He nodded and they both tried to see if there's anyone suspicious in the vicinity. Just like in the elevator, the silence inside the car was so dense that it pounded on the inside of their ears. Sharon heard Andy's breaths and wondered what they would feel like on her skin.

"Okay, are you ready to go in?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," she took a deep breath, "let's do it."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2:_

"I can't believe that rich people come to this dump," Andy exclaimedquietly as they both crossed the dark, deserted street and continued toward the entrance. Sharon grabbed his arm again and tried to remain calm.

"You wouldn't believe the lengths people would go to be able to gamble," she whispered bitterly.

"Right," Andy suddenly remembered that Jackson was a gambler, but kept quiet about it. He wondered what she went through and how she dealt with it. Being a recovered alcoholic himself he knew what addictions can do to the people suffering from them, but he thought it'd be interesting hearing about it from a different angle - from the family's point of view. His own family has barely ever spoken to him after he recovered.

Breathing became harder and harder with every step they took. This definitely wasn't Andy's first undercover operation, but it's been a very long time since his last one. He knew that Sharon was counting on him to show her the way and hedidn't want to fail her. Her body felt warm against his as they walked. It felt good, cozy almost. He thought he could get used to her close presence, and suddenly he had to fight certain images of her out of his mind. It was weird, thinking about her in that way when she was right next to him; so close but yet so far.

"Can you try and look a little less uncomfortable?" Sharon whispered and tightened her arm around his. "We're supposed to look like a married couple, comfortable with each other."

"Oh, yes, 15 years of being happily married. Who would believe that one?" he whispered back and chuckled. Sharon shook her head, but the corner of her mouth curved to a little smile.

They both fell into silence as the guard at the front door became visible in the darkness.

"Good evening," Sharon smiled. The guard ignored her greetings and just stared at them. She looked at Andy hesitantly, hoping he'd understand her silent cry for help through her eyes.

"Uh… 'king-of-diamonds'," he said calmly. Sharon realized she had just made the first mistake – freezing in front of the guard. Luckily, Andy's fast response drew the guy's attention and he didn't notice. She never doubted her decision, but now she was even more sure that she had made the right one by choosing Andy as her partner.

The guard kept staring at them, examining their faces in order to see how sure they were of themselves. There wasn't a moment in her life when Sharon was happier to have a poker face.

"Credit card and ID's," he finally said.

Sharon opened her purse quickly and pulled the black American Express they had the bank make for this operation, along with her fake ID. Andy pulled his own fake ID from his pocket and handed it over. The guard examined the names on the ID's and the credit card, then checked that their faces matched those on the ID's, and eventually handed everything back to them.

"Welcome to 'Wonderland'," he opened the door to let them in. They stepped inside the dark building and heard him say "go right down the stairs," before closing the door and leaving them alone in almost complete darkness. The only light came from above the staircase – a sign with nothing but an arrow, showing them where to go.

"Careful," Andy whispered as they started to descend the stairs.

"Can you hear people? Anything? It's too quiet," Sharon sounded worried.

"I can't hear anything over the smell of your perfume," he said, holding her hand tightly to prevent her falling. He had no idea how women managed to walk in high heels without falling over every step, but he admired them for it all the same.

"I… what?"

"Nothing. It's just… nice."

"Stay focused, _Robert_," she whispered a warning just before reaching the door.

"Well, I guess my informant is reliable," he was barely audible but Sharon heard and nodded. All the information he has given them proved to be true so far – the location of the club, what to wear, how to get in… The only thing he didn't know exactly was who they were after. That would have saved them a lot of trouble, indeed.

Andy opened the door and everything hit them at once, overwhelming them – the light, the music, the chatter and the smoke. A lot of smoke. Sharon's eyes started to burn and tear up as soon as they entered and closed the door behind them.

The place wasn't too big, but for a basement it was fairly spacious. Clearly, it's been renovated to make it bigger than it was originally. There were poker tables all over the room, probably brought in specifically for the tournament.

A quick look around made Sharon feel more out of place than she initially thought she'd feel. If at one point she thought that her dress was fancy, looking at how the other women there were dressed changed her mind immediately. Each of those dresses could probably feed an entire family for a few months.

"Shall we get drinks, dear?" Andy asked, trying to pull her out of the state of shock that she was in. She frowned at him, confused, but then quickly remembered that the bartender was the informant. Andy rested his hand on her back and led her to the bar, having spotted it first from the entrance.

"Good evening," the bartender gave Andy a little nod of recognition. The tag on his vest said 'Vincent'. "What would you like to drink?"

A man in a black suit walked behind them, looking at them through suspicious eyes. He almost looked like a business man, but the lack of a tie, the two open buttons at the top of his shirt and his unshaved face gave Sharon the sensation that he wasn't an ordinary business man.

"Merlot, please," She played along. Obviously, she wasn't going to drink a drop while on the job. Vincent grabbed a bottle and poured some wine into a shiny glass. He tried to move as slowly as possible without looking suspicious. The guy in the suit walked away, apparently bored by what was going on at the bar.

Andy put money on the counter as Vincent gave Sharon the glass and then leaned forward a little, as if to take the money.

"This was the owner. He's checking you out. You two have to act like a real married couple or he'll suspect you. And believe me, you don't want to be on his black list.

"Thank you," Sharon continued to play the game. She turned to look at the poker tables and something got a hold of her face. Before she knew it, Andy brought his lips to hers.

He intended to give her a little peck, to make them look like an authentic couple, but once his mouth touched hers, he couldn't let go.

Sharon didn't do much to help him either. She just stood there with her eyes closed, completely devoted to the kiss. A shiver went up and down her spine quickly like a lightning, along with a sensation that she's already forgot about – butterflies. In her stomach. What was happening to her? It felt so good, nostalgic. Like a long forgotten childhood friend coming back, making her feel young again.

Andy caressed her tongue with his in gentle, slow movements, forgetting for a moment where they were at.

(***)

What's going on? Why has it turned black all of a sudden? Is the signal gone?" Provenza stared at the blank screen inside the van, confused.

"No…" Tao said slowly, "judging by the fact that they were both facing each other just before it went black…" he stopped thinking, a look or realization coming to his face.

"What?!" Provenza couldn't take his hesitance any longer. He was worried about his boss and colleague and wanted to understand what was going on.

"They are standing very close to each other."

"Standing close to each other?" Provenza was still at a loss.

"Very close," Tao tried to hint. He didn't want to say it.

"You mean… they're hugging?"

"Or…" Tao looked at him and after a few seconds saw understanding spreading on his face. Now Provenza looked like he just ate something very sour. "The bartender did say they had to be more credible as a couple," Tao shrugged.

"God, that's awful," Provenza muttered, staring at the still black screen.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3:_**

Sharon's hand started to move up Andy's arm absentmindedly. She wanted to stay like this forever, as if nothing else mattered. She couldn't think straight and there was no will inside of her to do so**.** All she knew at that moment was what his lips felt like.

"Okay, that's good. Maybe… too good," Vincent said suddenly, pulling them both back to reality. Sharon felt the air being sucked out of her lungs at once, leaving her with an unpleasant sensation of a vacuum inside her body.

She took a step back and stood frozen to the spot, looking at Andy with a terrified expression. Andy looked a little less shocked, but confusion hovered over his face like a dark cloud. Both of them were trying to understand what had just happened.

"W-what…" Sharon wasn't able to complete the sentence.

"The owner was eying us," Andy hoped that this was a good enough excuse for why this kiss wasn't just a little peck.

"He's still checking you out," Vincent looked at Sharon as he spoke. "He either likes you or is very suspicious of you. You better start playing."

Sharon grabbed her glass of wine and left the bar with Andy, in search of a table they could join. There was one in the corner, close to the restroom.

Andy sat down at the table and Sharon remained standing behind him, like some of the other men and women did – those who apparently were only there to accompany their partners and wanted to watch the game. Others were sitting on couches along the club's walls, chatting with those next to them over some alcoholic beverage.

A blond woman standing behind a man across the table stared at Sharon. Sharon stared back at her with a frown, wondering what was going through this woman's mind. What was that penetrating look for?

Eventually Andy started playing and Sharon dropped her eyes to his cards. Ever since Jackson almost ruined her life with his gambling problems, she developed a deep loathing for anything that had to do or could be related to gambling**;** including poker and other card games. Whenever she saw those black and red shapes, she remembered how he burnt most of their life-savings and felt nothing but anger. She never quite forgave him for it.

Andy lost the first two rounds on purpose. They wanted him to be seen as a weak player, and get invited for the rest of the tournament. Those were Vincent's instructions. "Everyone likes losers when it comes to gambling opponents," he said to Andy the day before.

"I'm going to the restroom," Sharon whispered in Andy's ear and left before he could say a word.

The restroom had three stalls, three sinks and was dimly lit. Sharon opened all the stalls. She had no idea what she was looking for, but there was no one there and nothing out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, it was much better than just standing behind Andy, doing nothing for the investigation.

The restroom door slammed open, startling her. She turned around quickly and saw the owner entering and the door slamming back shut behind him. He was tall, fit and overall pretty good-looking.

"Hello," he said in a deep voice. Sharon didn't reply. "I'm Steve."

Sharon hesitated before saying, "Sarah."

"Welcome to my club, Sarah," he approached her slowly.

"Thank you… but you probably shouldn't be here," her heart started to pound in her chest. Will Andy be able to hear her if she screams for help?

"It's my place, I can be anywhere I want," he came to a stop right in front of her and buried his hands in his pockets, looking pretty serene and confident.

"Well, then, _I_ shouldn't be here."

"You're pretty close with your husband, aren't you?" he ignored what she said.

"I am," she said shortly, wondering where he was going with that.

"So… you wouldn't consider going behind his back with someone like me?"

Sharon stared at him, amazed. This was the last thing she expected to hear. She thought that he was about to threaten Andy or her or something of the sort. He was about 15 years younger than her, handsome and rich. Surely he did not have a problem with women. So what was that?

"I would," she replied, considering all the new possibilities she and her detectives might have if she went out with him. The investigation could get a whole different angle and it might accelerate the process. "But… why me?" undercover or not, she had to know.

"Why?"

"Yes. I've only just got here, we've never met before. And there are many pretty ladies in here."

Steve chuckled. "I don't know. There was something in the way you kissed your husband earlier. I liked your passion."

"Oh," Sharon arched her eyebrows - another answer she didn't expect. He looked at her for a few moments, smiling.

"So, do you have a number I can call?"

Sharon froze for a second. They hadn't prepared for something like that. "I think it would best if I called you," she was proud of herself for bouncing back quickly.

Steve took out a business card from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "Why don't you call me tomorrow and we'll set a time and a place?"

"I will," she took the card, smiling at him. It's been so long since she flirted that she wasn't sure she was doing it right.

"You're a woman of few words, aren't you? I like that," he bent forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. Sharon forced herself to keep smiling until he left. If she wasn't undercover she would've pushed him back. Actually, she wouldn't even have talked with this chauvinist criminal.

An hour and a half later, Sharon and Andy entered the hotel room. He lost 100$ on purpose and, as predicted, was invited back. Neither of them spoke from the moment they left the club. There were moments when Sharon wanted to ask him what the hell was he doing kissing her like that, but the pin on her dress gave her the justified feeling that they weren't alone. She didn't want Provenza and Tao listening on this conversation.

"Andy…" she said as she sat tiredly on the edge of the bed, "give me your button."

"My… what?"

"The camera."

"Oh!" he struggled to remove it and placed it in her open palm. He looked down at her, sitting on the bed, and turned around quickly as images of her flooded his mind again.

Sharon watched him walking towards the couch and suddenly wondered if his arms were strong and comfortable for cuddling. She took down her pin as she let her imagination go wild while staring at his back. Eventually, she tore her eyes from him and placed the two tiny cameras in her make-up bag. Then she put it in her suitcase, under her shirts, and closed it.

As she got ready for bed in the solitude of the bathroom, Sharon wondered whether she should bring up the kiss at all. What if it made things even more awkward? Or what if she was wrong, and this kiss didn't make him feel anything, as opposed to her? What a disappointment that would be…

To her, the kiss was good. Amazing, even. She had always found Andy attractive, but she could never have guessed how much chemistry they'd have as a couple. When they kissed, she felt as if there were endless explosions inside her body, tsunamis of physical reactions that not many men could arouse in her.

When she stepped outside of the bathroom Andy was already dressed for bed and finishing transforming the couch into one.

"Will you be okay onthe couch?" she asked and he turned to her. He stopped for a moment to look at her black pajama pants and gray t-shirt, which wasn't too tight and seemed most suitable in her eyes when sleeping in the same room as a subordinate officer. Well, of course he was more than that. They went to his daughter's wedding together, he had started calling her by her first name and was the one she relied on most at work.

"Ask my back in the morning," he smiled.

"Is there a chance it might hurt?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But nothing serious," he quickly added the last part, trying to prevent her feeling sorry for him.

"So…" she approached him, "take the bed."

"What? No."

"I insist. Take the bed," she said in her calm, yet frightening tone, the one the squad used to refer to as 'Darth Raydor tone'.

"No, no way. The bed is yours."

"You're being a gentleman at the expense of your physical health and this operation," she tried to reason with him. "It's silly."

"I'll be fine. I'm sure my back can take it."

"You just said it might not," Sharon glared at him, waiting for his answer, but he only glared back at her. She had no idea he was just as stubborn as she was.

"Goodnight, Sharon," he said eventually and resumed fixing his couch-bed.

Sharon rolled her eyes and started toward the bed but stopped midway and turned back to him.

"Look, this is ridiculous. The bed is huge and we're… friends. We can share it," the moment she finished the sentence, she couldn't believe she actually said it out loud. Her heart started pounding in her chest; for the second time this evening. Inwardly she tried to convince herself that she was doing it for the sake of the operation. Yet, a question kept sounding in her mind - what was wrong with her?

Apparently, Andy was wondering the same thing. He looked at her with a surprised expression, not sure what to say.


End file.
